Rangers

All Rangers must attend and pass training on an annual basis, whether Apogaea training or Black Rock City training. Other regional event training may qualify on a case by case basis.

• • Apogaea Ranger Training - overview

  • Apogaea Ranger Training - details

Department Overview

Apogaea Rangers are a broad cross-section of the Apogaea community who volunteer some of their time in the role of non-confrontational community mediators. They are empowered by the community and the board to address safety concerns, mediate disputes, and resolve conflicts when they cannot be resolved by the persons involved. Rangers encourage a community of shared responsibility.

Responding to the ever-changing environment, Rangers address situations within their community that might otherwise require outside intervention. By encouraging and facilitating communication, Rangers promote awareness of potential hazards, from sunstroke to bears. Through their radios and shift briefings, Rangers carry the latest information to the citizens of Apogaea. The Rangers’ primary concern is the safety of people, not property.

Board--->Department Leads----->OODs (Officers of the Day)--->Khakis---->Dirt Rangers----->Shiny Pennies/Trainees

Rangers also have dedicated volunteers for: Mentoring, Training, Volunteer Coordinator/Social Director, Green Dot (Crisis Response)

We work on a Black Rock City training and organizational model.  Trained rangers from other regionals and Black Rock City are welcome to help with our event with approval from Department Leads.

2025: Board Liaison--Indiana (Ian Faugh); Department Leads and OODs--Sentinel (Jeff Paley), Buttercup (Tim Cordova); Department Lead Mentors (Laughtrack and Monkey Shoes); Khakis: Laughtrack (Ronica Roth), Monkey Shoes (Caroline Kert)

Event Radios are held by: OODs, Laugh Track, Monkey Shoes

Our Department has many Black Rock City green dot rangers in case of need. 

Important Contact Information

Board Member Liaisons: Indiana (Ian Faugh) and Danielle Farley

rangers@apogaea.com goes to Leads

rangersleads@apogaea.com goes to Caroshine, Izzy, Khaki on site (HQ tablets), Ian, Buttercup, Sentinel, Laugh Track

Department Roles and Positions
Criteria for the Role

Department Leads--Oversee the policy and procedure for the department. Determine scheduling needs. Organize trainings and communicate with the department. 
Role Requirements: Significant Rangering experience, including at a Khaki level. Strong understanding of Apogaea operations, departments and Board priorities.

Department Lead Mentors: Assist Department Leads with understanding all elements that enter into successful operation of the department. Thinking partners for department challenges. Assistance in the field with difficult situations. 

Role Requirements: Significant Rangering experience, including OOD or Department lead experience.

OODs: Experienced Rangers with Khaki experience willing to take on longer shifts. Provide continuity of understanding regarding events and issues within the event. Partners with and supports Khaki for difficult events and situations, and is who Khaki can escalate to. Attend on-site safety and Ignition all-hands meetings.  Partner with Board Member on Duty and responding Khaki on all 007 (eviction) decisions.

Role Requirements: Significant Rangering experience, including at a Khaki level. Strong understanding of Apogaea operations, departments and Board priorities.

Volunteer Coordinator/Social Director: Determine departmental needs, organize call-outs for volunteers. As needed, oversee volunteers organizing Ranger Village. Responsible for year-round esprit de corps.

Role Requirements: Ranger experience and a passion for creating year-round community. 

Khakis: Shift lead and dispatch for the department, who is responsible for the smooth running of on-shift operations and supporting Rangers in the field.  Responsible for upkeep of the Ranger log/IMS system. All radio calls to the ranger shift lead should be made to "khaki," not the individual's name, so that no one needs to know who is acting as khaki. The human in the khaki role may change at any moment. 

Role Requirements: Demonstrated comfort and core competency with Ranger duties and in the field activities. Solid understanding of Ranger protocols, must report requirements, and event departments. Comfortable problem solving under pressure and willingness to ask questions and seek input from leadership when needed. Encouraging and mentoring attitude toward the department's most valuable assets--dirt rangers!

Dirt Rangers--The eyes and ears of the event leadership and khaki. Dirt Rangers' primary responsibility is to build good rapport (social capital) between participants and the Department by educating participants regarding Rangers' role. Rangers are a primary resource for participants and can easily  refer them to appropriate resources or help problem solve issues. Rangers deescalate conflict, mediate contentious situations, and serve as safety volunteers. They educate participants regarding known or potential safety issues, without impacting participant's ability to make their own (sometimes poor) decisions. Rangers redirect the trajectory of individuals' Burns, and protect the safety and mental wellbeing of the participants. They do not protect property.

Role Requirements: Even-keeled, good listener, patient, able to guide participants to their own resolutions. All dirt Rangers are required to successfully complete annual training. New Rangers participate in a mentor shift to gain focused support and experience while in the field.

Green Dot Rangers--Green Dot Rangers are specially trained to deal with issues that may be centered upon emotional, mental or spiritual crisis that goes beyond the capacity of their local community and less specialized Rangers, but that do not yet need professional services. Peer counselors for mentally distressed participants. While all Rangering may require kleenex and emotional intelligence, Green Dot Rangers commit to patiently providing longer term support that may include check ins over the course of numerous days. 

Role Requirements: Black Rock City trained and approved Green Dot Rangers in good standing. 

Mentors: Mentors usher new Rangers through their first real life Ranger experiences. They provide thinking partnership on actual calls and perspectives on ways to approach the art of Rangering. Mentors provide newer Rangers opportunities to practice radio calls, and can provide examples and case studies that help new Rangers hone their craft. Mentors provide feedback to new Rangers and evaluate the readiness of new Rangers to be approved as full fledged Rangers.

Role Requirements: Experienced Rangers with a willingness to share stories, experiences, approaches and their personal art with new Rangers. Must be familiar with departmental policies, must reports, and radio practices. Able to provide compassionate and actionable feedback for improvement. Discerning evaluator of Shiny Pennies' likelihood to protect Rangers' social capital and community members. 

Shiny Pennies/Mentees: Potential Rangers, who have successfully completed training, but have never actively Rangered. Must complete a mentor shift and receive passing evaluation from the mentors and khaki.

Role Requirements: Successfully attend training. Passion for helping people using non-directive language, conflict resolution, and mediation principles. Comfortable with 10 Principles and the layout of the city and its resources. Patience, listening skills, ability to remain calm in a difficult situation. Interest in serving as a resource for emergency services and the Board. 

Perimeter Lead: Trains Rangers on proper perimeter practices and fire safety principles. Attends all-hands effigy meeting, and coordinates with FAST regarding perimeter needs.   Designs quadrant layout for perimeter. 

Role Requirements: Experienced Ranger with significant perimeter experience. Ability to provide training in the field and remain flexible in response to changing conditions and safety directives from other departments.

Quadrant Leads: Responsible for oversight of Rangers within a section of a perimeter. Serve as khaki for that perimeter. Thinking partner for Rangers in the perimeter. Responsible for accurate tracking of all Rangers entering and returning from the quadrant. 

Role Requirements: Perimeter experience and ability to manage a small Ranger team. Good radio skills. Usually appointment by perimeter lead just prior to perimeter. 

Department Policies

Full day training materials: Apogaea Ranger Training - details

All communications should go through Khaki

All Rangers ranger in pairs, are sober, are identifiable, and have a radio

Rangers cannot sign up for a slot in the volunteer database until they are verified in good standing, or have successfully passed training for the year. 

All Rangers must attend and pass training on an annual basis, whether Apogaea training or Black Rock City training. Other regional event training may qualify on a case by case basis.

If participants have experiences with logoed/costumed Rangers acting unrangerly or in an unprofessional manner, that can reported directly to OODs or Department Leads.

Links to Google Drive Documents

Important Links

Other Items

Zello App: A very helpful tool to practice radio skills. https://zello.com/